The present invention relates to an air guiding system for a vehicle particularly for a passenger car, which is arranged in a rear area of the vehicle and comprises at least one central main air guiding element which can be displaced from a moved-in inoperative position into a moved-out operative position, lateral auxiliary air guiding elements being displaceable together with the or each central main air guiding element.
DE 30 19 150 A1 shows a vehicle air guiding system arranged in an upper rear area of the vehicle and having an air guiding element that can be displaced from an inoperative position, in which it is integrated in the shaping of the rear area flush with the surface, into a moved-out operative position. The air guiding element is constructed as an aerofoil which, by way of an operating device, can be displaced or changed from the inoperative position into the operative position and vice-versa.
DE 43 05 090 A1also discloses a vehicle air guiding system arranged in a rear area of the vehicle and has an air guiding element which can be displaced from an inoperative position into a moved-out operative position. The air guiding element is formed by a rear spoiler arranged in a recessed receiving device of the vehicle body and can be displaced by an operating device between the inoperative position and the operative position.
The air guiding systems known from DE 30 19 150 A1 and DE 43 05 090 A1, increase the rear axle output coefficient (cah-value) of the motor vehicle while maintaining the drag coefficient (cw-value) at the same level or improving same. Each of these known air guiding elements have the same transverse dimension in the inoperative position and in the operative position.
DE 10 2005 030 203 discloses a vehicle air guiding system that has a central main air guiding element as well as two lateral auxiliary air guiding elements. The auxiliary air guiding elements allow the transverse dimension of the air guiding system can be enlarged in the operative position. The effective aerodynamic flow face area of the air guiding system can thereby be enlarged in the operative position, whereby particularly the rear axle output coefficient can be further increased. The lateral auxiliary air guiding elements are used only for enlarging the transverse dimension of the main air guiding elements or of the air guiding system.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved vehicle air guiding system in which the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements, while enlarging the transverse dimension and simultaneously enlarging the longitudinal dimension of the main air guiding element or of the air guiding system, can be displaced from an also moved-in inoperative position into an also moved-out operative position. The simultaneous enlarging of the transverse dimension and of the longitudinal dimension of the main air guiding element or of the air guiding system is aerodynamically particularly advantageous.
Preferably, each of the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements can be changed by way of one operating device respectively transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle as well as simultaneously in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and thereby diagonally toward the rear from the inoperative position into the operative position, isochronously or simultaneously with the displacement of the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements diagonally toward the rear. Each of the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements is swivelable upward by way of an erecting device, and the central main air guiding element is coupled to the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements by way of a coupling device such that isochronously or simultaneously with the displacement of the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements, the central main air guiding element can be swiveled upward during the change from the inoperative position into the operative position.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.